Dingwall boxers Lewis Urquhart and Ben Bartlett, alongside Tain's Andrew Mclaughlan, rewarded for efforts over 2022/23 season at Highland Boxing Academy awards night
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Three Ross-shire athletes were recognised at the Highland Boxing Academy end-of-season awards last weekend.
Although the club is based in Inverness, people travel far and wide to train with HBA – with a strong track record of success too.
For some of those boxers, their latest accolades came at the club's 2022/23 awards night at the Inverness Ice Centre.
Of the three Ross representatives, Dingwall's Lewis Urquhart arguably claimed the biggest prize as he was named HBA's senior male boxer of the year.
Tain's Andrew Mclaughlan was also rewarded for his efforts as he was named junior boxer of the year.
Ben Bartlett, who remains unbeaten as a professional, was also among the winners, as the Dingwall native won the male club ambassador award.
Highland Boxing Academy head coach Liam Foy says all three were worthy trophy winners as they have kept standards high in the gym and excelled when given the chance to perform in the ring.
"Lewis had a great season for us," Foy said.
"He won the top tier of the Development Championships – which replaced the novice and intermediate competitions – in what was was also his first bout in two and-a-half years since before the pandemic, and just lost out in the final of the Golden Gloves competition on a split decision.
"He also went to Dunfermline to fight the boy he beat to win the Development Championships, because they were a bit aggrieved they lost that one, and beat him in his own backyard by unanimous decision.
"Lewis is someone who is one of our more seasoned boxers, and he has always been in amongst the trophies at these awards nights. This was his year.
"Andrew fought the first half of the season at junior, and the second half as youth, but at junior he was emphatic.
"He won the development championships, he boxed two really good boys from two good clubs down there and he was narrowly edged out on a split decision for the Golden Gloves. He had a great season.
"Our ambassador award is given out to someone that embodies everything that we do at the club.
"Within the pro ranks, Ben's stock is rising which is raising his own profile and the profile of the club, and he's a great role model for our younger boxers as well.
"We're looking for someone who stands out as a role model for this award, someone who's doing everything they can to be the best version of themselves, and that was Ben."
